Tell It Like It Is

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Tell It Like It Is
Aaron Neville
publication 1966
Genre (s) Pop , R&B
Author (s) Lee Diamond , George Davis
album Tell It Like It Is
Cover version
1989 Don Johnson

Tell It Like It Is (English for: " Tell me how it is ") is a pop song by George Davis and Lee Diamond from 1965, which was first interpreted and known by Aaron Neville .

Origin and topic

The two authors were friends with Neville and wrote the song for him: Lee Diamond sketched part of the song and gave it to George Davis, who completed Tell It Like It Is . In this ballad , a man addresses the woman he is wooing and challenges her to be honest with him. His time is too precious; therefore he does not want to be used as a toy, but seeks the woman who is serious about him. She should say what it looks like with love and thereby overcome her pride and shame - she should only be guided by her conscience: Tell it like it is; don't be ashamed; let your conscience be your guide . He knows deep down that she loves him. Since life is too short for worries and she could not be here tomorrow, she should take heart and take what she desires. Thus, the motif of the “Carpe diem” is taken up: one should enjoy life as long as it is possible. The song was recorded in 1965, but was not released until November 9, 1966.

Original version

Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Singles
Aaron Neville
  US 2 December 3, 1966 (14 weeks)
Don Johnson
  DE 2 07/03/1989 (22 weeks)
  AT 13 09/15/1989 (12 weeks)
  CH 6th 07/09/1989 (15 weeks)

Aaron Neville's version was particularly successful in the United States , making it to the top of the US R&B charts and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967 . In the list of the 500 best songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine , this piece reached number 381. Neville has the song in the program to this day and is celebrated with standing ovations after the lecture .

Tell It Like It Is is 3:17 minutes long and appeared on Neville's album of the same name. On the B-side of the single is Why Worry .

Cover version of Don Johnson

In 1989, actor Don Johnson, made famous by Miami Vice , recorded his version of Tell It Like It Is . This was published worldwide on June 20, 1989 and was very successful in many European countries. The piece could follow on from the success of Johnson's debut single Heartbeat . Johnson's version of Tell It Like It Is is 4:30 minutes long and appeared on the album Let It Roll . On the B-side is the piece of Angel City .

The music video is playing at a party. At the beginning of the video, a woman slowly walks down a flight of stairs, then Don Johnson starts singing and the studio musicians play. In the overall storyline, the woman walks through a room while Don Johnson and the studio musicians perform the song.

Other covers

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ George Davis tribute page
  2. ↑ With three other songs in Cosimo Matassa's studio. Musicians included pianist Willie Tee, trumpeter Emery Thomas, guitarist John Moore, backing singer Tami Lynn, saxophonist Alvin Red Tyler and George Davis on bass (according to tribute page George Davis)
  3. ↑ a b cf. Thomas Steinberg Aaron Neville was 70 ( Memento from January 25, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ Top Pop Singles 1955-2006 by Joel Whitburn , Record Research 2007, ISBN 978-0-89820-172-7
  5. ↑ Chart sources: Germany / Austria + Switzerland ( memento of the original from December 10, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.chartsurfer.de
  6. ↑ Music video in Myvideo.de